Gerald P. Carr

• Skylab 4 (1973 )

Gerald Paul Carr ( born August 22, 1932 in Denver, Colorado) is a former American astronaut.

Life

Native in the U.S. state of Colorado, Carr grew up in Southern California, in Santa Ana, on. There he attended school, was active in the student council, played football and was a dedicated scout. When he was in high school he joined the Navy and studied at the University of Southern California later. First, he took math majors, but soon realized that this was him too academic. He was trained as a mechanical engineer, because it was more technique. In 1954 he received his engineering degree and joined the U.S. Navy ( USMC). This was followed by an officer training course in Virginia and a pilot training in Florida and Texas.

Carr was the fight Squadron 122 ( VMF -122 Navy designation ) allocated, the 1957 is the first unit equipped with the new fighter aircraft of the type F-8 " Crusader". For the reason the VMF -122 changed its name from the Candystripers in Crusaders. Carr was stationed with his unit on the "USS Independence". During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the aircraft carrier was referring to the December 1962 off the Florida coast position. The next big test led the Crusaders to the Atsugi Naval Base in Japan. Prior to joining NASA Carr worked as a Test Director at the Marine Air Control Squadron 3 from 1965.

NASA activities

Carr came to the fifth group of astronauts in 1966 for the U.S. space agency. Together with 18 other candidates, he was presented in April to the public. First, he was a member of the support teams of Apollo 8 (1968) and Apollo 12 (1969). He was also involved in the development of the lunar vehicle, which came into use in the last three Apollo flights 1971/72.

On January 19, 1972, NASA announced the crew for the three flights to the space station Skylab. Carr has been nominated as commander of the third crew ( Skylab 4). What was remarkable was that Carr already a command has been transferred on his first flight. That was the last time in 1966 happened to Neil Armstrong.

Together with pilot Bill Pogue and Edward Gibson, who officially oversaw the scientific payload, Carr was the last crew of the first American space station. The three astronauts began their mission, which lasted three months in November 1973. One of the main tasks was the observation of newly discovered comet Kohoutek. In addition, solar research, space medicine and Earth exploration were on the close-packed program of work. Of the four extravehicular activities Carr was involved in three: he left first end of December, Pogue and four days later with the Gibson station. Only five days before landing, he rose again from for five and a half hours with Gibson. As Carr and his two comrades beginning in February 1974 returned to Earth, they had set up with 84 days of a new long-term record, which was broken in 1978 by the crew of Salyut 6.